Container



June 1, 1943. R. a. woR'HlNGToN' 2,320,340

CONTAINER' Filed March s, 1941 '2 sheets-sheet 1 il' i June l, 1943'- g R. B. woRrHlNGToN CONTAINER Filed March '3, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 1, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONTAINER Roland B. Worthington, Kansas City, Mo.

Application March 3, 1941, Serial No. 381,453

Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in containers for mustard, jelly, horseradish, relish and other such substances.

More specifically, the invention relates to improvements in respect of providing such containers with serving members removably secured to the containers or more properly, the covers thereof and in the container itself.

The disadvantages in serving mustard, jelly and the like are well known, not only in the home but especially in public places. The covers have been provided with openings for spoons to extend through which results in the drying and waste of mustard, and in addition, are exposed to dirt and dust, besides falling out on a table or floor, thus being unsanitary by reason of collecting germs and contamination and resulting in disease to users, etc. Removable covers covered with mustard are laid on linen to soil it, and likewise spoons with mustard on left on table cloths and tables to soil them. Also, spoons and covers after being laid on unsanitary cloths or tables are replaced on the container to contaminate the mustard, etc. Not infrequently the spoons are lost, stolen or unavailable, and eating utensils used in an unsanitary manner are then used to serve the mustard, jelly etc.

Other disadvantages in containers reside in their liability to breakage and in not being as practical for packaging as they might be made. By means of my invention I have provided containers for mustard, jelly and the like with serving members which may be removably secured to the cover. They may be attached and detached in the simplest manner.

The serving elements may be made of suitable well known plastics or other materials and this is especially important in the case of mustard where metal is impractical as is well known.

Among the advantages of my invention are that it is not necessary to take a cover 01T and rest it to soil linen while serving the mustard, and the disadvantage from resting a mustard or jelly spoon on linen or tables with the unsanitary disadvantages resulting therefrom, is eliminated. There is no opening to dry out and cause caking and Waste of the mustard. The serving member is always ready at hand because it is attached to the cover and it will not fall into the mustard.

There is the further advantage that in the case of standard threaded covers on mustard bottles the mustard will be stirred in every use.

Another advantage resides in providing a removably secured serving member for the standard conventional mustard containers without in terfering with the present method of producing said bottles and covers.

In respect of other features of my invention I have provided improvements on the covers for the containers and in the containers themselves of manifest advantage by providing a jar of the form shown in Figs. 1 to 6,

-There is not only the advantagev of beauty and distinction but there is less likelihood of breakage because the part of the container most likely to be contacted is the most reinforced part of the container instead of the least reinforced as in the case of jars where the greatest diameter is at the top.

By providing a cover of the kind described in Figs. 1 to 6, with its thickened edges and other features there results the advantage of increased strength Where the strength is needed most and thus less liability to breakage.

With the device of my invention there will be no cover separate from the spoon to be laid on a table which the user may forget to place back on the mustard jar.

The custom of putting the spoon back is almost universal, but this is not the case with the cover and with the cover removably secured to the spoon, the practical result will be to insure the covering of the mustard. Devices made according to the principle of my invention will have the distinct advantage that a jar such as a jelly jar may be used with the paddle or spoon for one substance and if it should be desired to use the jar for the same or another substance without the paddle, the user has a closed jar perfectly adapted for the purpose without any marring of the appearance of the device.

Another object in the invention has been to provide said advantages in a simple manner at low cost.

Other objects and advantages will be more apparent hereinafter.

My invention may be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the preferred form of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the same;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the cover and spoon;

Fig. 5 is a section of the cover with the spoon removed;

Fig. 6 is an elevation view of the spoon;

Fig. 7 is an elevation of a modified form of my invention; I

the purpose of illustrating the principle of my invention as shown in Figs. 1 to 6 includes a jar I5 which may be used for jam, relish, various other condiments, etc., having a base I6. The jar I5 in the preferred form shown may be octagonally sided with the lower sides I1 flared outwardly in an upward manner and in CFI stood that my jar has the advantage of having a serving member removably attached to the cover. In assembling the device, all that is necessary is to take the serving member 3| in the fingers and insert it in the socket in the cover. It is not necessary to compress the resilient ends toward each other. On account of the rounded ends 36 of the serving member 3|, the resilient ends 35 will work or contract and snap frictionally but easily into the socket until there is an abutting relation between the shoulder 31a and the under side of the cover. In this position the resilient upper ends 35 will snap outwardly above or behind the bead or boss 30 to removabllr lock the serving member in the cover. The serving member is as easily removed by compressing the preferred form these sides are each con-'" caved as shown at I8. Also, there is shown a plurality of central vertical sides I9 each of which is concaved as at I8. Also as shown in the preferred form, there may be eight upper sides which are inwardly flared in an upward manner. The arrangement of these sides or panels is clearly illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3.

As clearly shown in Fig. 3 the jar I5 at its upper end is provided with a circular vertical flange 2| for containing and positioning the cover and preventing it from sliding and also a cover supporting or resting on flange or seat 22. The jar has an opening 23.

There is provided a cover 24 which may be described as being comprised of eight segments 25 in the preferred form and eight grooves 26,

with a groove separating each pair of segments 25. It will be understood that these grooves and segments taper inwardly toward the center to merge in a knob 21. The knob 21 in the preferred form is provided with eight beaded portions 28 as clearly shown in Fig. 2. Each of the beaded portions 28 in the preferred form registers with one of the segments 25 as clearly shown in Fig. 2. As clearly shown in Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6, the cover 24 is provided with a socket 29 having a bead or boss 30 at the lower end of the socket 29 and shown as of annular or circular form. Adapted to be removably attached to the cover 24 is a serving member 3I comprising a spoon 32 and a handle shank or stem portion 33. The upper end of the handle may be provided with a vertical slot 34 to bifurcate the uper end and provide a pair of resilient upper ends 35. 'Ihe upper ends also may be rounded as at 36 as clearly shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 6. The handle 33 is provided with a circular horizontal groove 31. The handle 33 by means of the groove 31 is thus provided with a circular horizontal shoulder 31a which in the preferred form is larger than the diameter at the resilient ends and larger than the socket 29 so as to act as a stop by abutting against the under side of the cover. It will be understood that my invention has the advantage not only of providing an ornamental and distinctive jar but it also provides a jar which has unusual strength and diminished liability toward breakage on account of its construction. The widest part of the jar is at the center and it is at this part that there is more likelihood of contact with other objects and greater liability of breakage. However, by virtue of the construction shown, the jar at the point most subject to breakage is reinforced by the upper and lower parts of the jar and its danger of breakage is considerably diminished. ,It will also be underthe ends 35 at the slot 34 until portions 35 clear the bead 30, when it may be pulled out. When this is done, there will be an audible click assuring that the device is functioning properly. In this case the cover may be replaced on the jar and the spoon in the material.

It will be understood that jelly or mustard, etc., may then -be served with the serving member by grasping the knob 21 and that there will always be a serving member available and it will not be necessary to lay, for example, a mustard spoon on linen, to soil it, and there is no danger of the spoon disappearing into the mustard and having to be fished out,

It will be understood that instead of a spoon, a paddle, fork or other device may be used. In removing the serving element from the cover. al1 that is necessary is to slightly press the resilient ends 35 together between the thumb and forenger and Withdraw them from the socket in the cover. In the form chosen for purposes of illustration, Figs. 8 to l2, there is shown 8- conventional container such as a mustard bottle 38 having a base 39, a threaded neck 40 and a threaded cover 4I. This cover may be a conventional cover excepting for the fact that it is provided with some changes in the center of Athe cover.l There is provided, as clearly shown in Figs. 7, 9 and 10, a T-shaped depending boss or bead 42 in the central portion of the cover shown of circular or annular form and T-shaped crosssection and having a cylindrical horizontal groove 43 and providing a shoulder 44 and also providing a cylindrical bearing surface or head 45. Adapted to be removably attached to the cover is a serving member 46 which in the form shown consists of a spoon 41 and a handle shank or stern portion 48. n At the upper end of the handle 48 there is provided a slot 49 to bifurcate the upper end of the handle into a pair of resilient upper ends 50. The upper end of the handle portion is provided with a T-shaped socket 5I shown of circular form and T-shaped cross-section forming an angular boss or bead 52. It will be understood that the handle may be grasped and that the boss 42 may be inserted in the socket 5I in the handle to expand the bifurcated resilient; upper ends 50 and then the handle may be pushed upwardly until the bead 52 rides over the cylindricalbearing surface 4 5 to reach the groove 43 when the resilient members will snap toward each other to removably lock the handle to the cover. In this condition, the shoulder 44 will abut against the bead 52 to removably lock the spoon to the cover.

As in the first form, the cover or lip may be unscrewed from the jar and the contents served by means of the attached spoon With`obvious advantages as stated heretofore. Forks or paddles or other serving implements may be substituted for the spoon in the same manner. When it is desired to remove the spoon, all that is necessary is to grasp the spoon and Work it easily from side to side so as to expand the resilient members and bring the bead out of contact with the shoulder 44 when the handle may be completely detached.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modication without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come Within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A container, a cover therefor, and a serving member, and means for removably securing the serving member to the cover, said means including a plurality of resilient upper extensions on the serving member, and a boss on the cover adapted to extend into said extensions.

2. A container, a cover therefor, and a serving member, and means for removably securing the serving member to the cover, said means including a plurality of recessed resilient extensions on the serving member, and a boss on the cover adapted to extend into said extensions.

3. A container, a cover therefor, and a Serving member, and means for removably securing the serving member to the cover, said means including a recessed resilient element on the serving member, and a boss on the cover adapted to extend into said resilient element.

4. A container, a cover therefor, and a serving member, and means for removably securing the serving member to the cover, said means includ` ing a plurality of resilient extensions on the serving member provided with a bead, and a boss on the cover provided with a bead adapted to extend into the extensions.

5. A container, a cover therefor, and a serving member, and means for removably securing the serving member to the cover, said means including a plurality of recessed resilient extensions on the serving member and provided With a bead and a boss provided With a bead on the cover adapted to extend into said recess.

6. A cover member for containers, a serving member, and means for removably securing the serving member to the cover member, said means including a socket in one member having a reduced portion at its entrance, a plurality of resilient abutting elements on the other member and an inwardly extending bead atthe entrance portion adapted to engage the reduced portion when the elements are engaged in the socket.

'7. A serving member for containers including a cover member, a serving member having a shank with a slot, one member having a socket with a bead and the other member having a portion with a reduced part adapted to enter the socket beyond the bead.

8, A cover for containers including a cover member, a serving member having a split end, one member having a socket with a restricted portion and the other member having a portion provided with a reduced portion adapted to enter the socket beyond the restricted portion to retain the parts in connection.

9. A cover member for containers, a serving member and means for removably securing the serving member to the cover member, said means including a socket in one member having a reduced portion at its entrance, a plurality of resilient abutting elements on one member and coacting interiitting enlarged portions on said members adapted to interengage when the cover and servingmembers are connected.

l0. A cover member for containers, a serving member and means for removably securing the serving member to the cover member, said means including a socket in one member having a reduced portion at its entrance, a split portion with a plurality of resilient abutting elements on one member and a beaded extension on one member, said resilient abutting elements and beaded extension adapted to resiliently interengage.

ROLAND B. WORTHINGTON. 

